Our fave celeb chefs put a spin on a kitchen staple to save you £££s

IT might not be the most boujee thing in your fridge right now, but mince is a kitchen staple.

And some of your fave chefs are bringing it into 2024 – thanks to a new charity cookbook Miracle Mince by Hospitality In Action, out now.

Gone are the days of grey, overcooked mince with gravy, and in with Angela Hartnett’s luxe lasagne and Simon Rimmer’s spicy gochujang meatloaf.

Looking for something a little adventurous? Then try Heston‘s chilli con carne, complete with a spiced butter to give it an edge.

And home-made sausage rolls have to be tasted to be believed – Michel Roux’s recipe is the real deal.

A little goes a long way, too, which means not only is minced beef/pork/lamb super-versatile, but it’s a great one for bulking out and batch-cooking.

It’s the one item I always make sure I have in my freezer, as it makes a wonderful foundation for a family midweek meal – mince-spired!

Simon Rimmer’s Gochujang Meatloaf

“The first time I had meatloaf was in Canada when I was 18,” says Simon.

“I’ve been a fan of it ever since and am stunned that it’s never really caught on in the UK.”

“If you’re a meatloaf-avoider, I urge you to jump on this one. It’s tasty, spicy and irresistible.”

Serves: 8
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 1 hr 10 mins
Cals: 371
Sat fat: 8g

Ingredients:
*350g streaky smoked bacon rashers
*1tbsp sunflower oil
*2 onions, diced
*2 cloves garlic, chopped
*150g chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
*1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
*1 tomato, deseeded and diced
*150g drained tinned sweetcorn
*340g beef mince
*260g pork mince
*3tbsp light soy sauce
*3tbsp Korean gochujang paste
*1tsp smoked sea salt
*1tsp ground white pepper
*100g fresh breadcrumbs (not Panko)
*Large handful flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
*2 eggs, lightly beaten

Method:

1. Use the bacon to line a 900g loaf tin, overlapping the strips and letting the ends drape over the sides and ends of the tin so that there are no gaps and making sure you have four rashers remaining to cover the tin once you’ve added the filling.
2. Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
3. Add the onions, garlic, mushrooms and red pepper and fry, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until everything is softened and the onion is translucent. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the tomato and sweetcorn. 
4. Meanwhile, put both types of mince in a mixing bowl. Mix together the soy sauce, gochujang and salt and pepper in a small bowl, then add this mixture to the bowl with the meat. Add the breadcrumbs, parsley and eggs, then the cooked onion mixture, and gently stir everything together, using a fork or your hands, until fully combined, but taking care not to overwork the meat. Pack the meat mixture into the bacon-lined tin, then fold over the draped ends of bacon to cover. Use the reserved rashers to fill in any gaps and completely cover the top.
5. Transfer the meatloaf to a baking tray, and pour in boiling water from a kettle so that the water comes halfway up the sides of the tin. Transfer everything to the oven and bake the meatloaf for 1 hour, until the inside reaches 70°C on a meat thermometer (if you have one) and it is fully cooked through (if, at any point, the bacon looks like it is crisping too quickly, cover the top with a piece of foil).
6. Remove the loaf tin from the oven, and leave the meatloaf to rest for 10 minutes before turning it out of the tin and serving it in slices with mash and gravy (add a good tablespoon of gochujang to the gravy, to serve, too).

Angela Hartnett’s Lasagne

“Although I’m a fan of chopped-up chuck steak to make the sauce for a lasagne, mince makes for a handy alternative, and the long, slow simmer ensures it becomes meltingly tender,” says Angela.

“Double the quantity of the sauce and freeze the leftovers to have stirred through spaghetti another day.”

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 3 hrs 30 mins
Cals: 1,167
Sat fat: 33g

Ingredients:
*2tbsp olive oil
*1 large carrot, finely diced
*1 stick celery, finely diced
*1 onion, finely diced
*2 cloves garlic, crushed
*750g top-quality beef mince
*300g pork mince
*1tbsp tomato purée
*Glass red wine
*100g parmesan, coarsely grated
*9 dried plain lasagna sheets

For the béchamel sauce
*50g butter
*50g plain flour
*570–600ml whole milk
*2tbsp finely grated parmesan

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic and cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the beef and pork and cook for 10 minutes, stirring to break up the mince, until coloured all over.
2. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute. Add the glass of wine and enough cold water (about 350ml) to just cover the meat and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover, and cook over a low heat for about 1½–2 hours, topping up with water occasionally, if necessary, to stop the pan running dry. Uncover and simmer for 25–30 minutes, until you have a rich sauce. Season generously with salt and pepper.
3. When the bolognese is nearly ready, heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6 and make the béchamel sauce. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk. Once you’ve added all the milk, return the pan to the heat and bring the sauce to the boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring until thickened. Stir in the parmesan, season and set aside.
4. Layer the lasagne in your ovenproof dish: spread a little of the béchamel sauce over the bottom of the dish, add some of the bolognese and sprinkle with parmesan. Add 3-4 lasagne sheets in a single layer, cutting them to fit your dish, if necessary. Repeat this process twice more, using up all the meaty ragout and making sure to leave enough béchamel for a final layer and enough cheese for a final sprinkling of parmesan over the top.
5. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake for 8-10 minutes, until deep golden on top and the pasta is cooked. (Re-cover with foil if the top starts to darken too much.) Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Michel Roux’s Cheesy Sausage Rolls

“Freshly cooked sausage rolls are heavenly, and home-baked ones are even better,” says Michel.

“Shop-bought puff pastry is fine, but if you can push the boat out and get the pure butter version, these cheesy sausage rolls will be divine.”

“I’m using blue cheese here, but really the choice of cheese is entirely up to you – think of these as a great way to use bits of leftover cheese in the fridge.”

Serves: 6
Prep time: 30 mins, plus 1hr resting
Cooking time: 30 mins
Cals: 514
Sat fat: 20g

Ingredients:
*375g sheet ready-rolled puff pastry
*Plain flour, for dusting
*1tbsp olive oil
*1 small red onion, chopped
*450g fine pork mince
*175g blue cheese, crumbled
*1 egg, beaten
*Onion seeds, for sprinkling
*Salt, black pepper and grated nutmeg

Method:

1. Place the puff pastry on a floured surface and roll it out thinly to a 30 x 40cm rectangle. Cut the rolled pastry in half to give two strips, each approximately 20 x 30cm.
2. Place the strips on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, cover with another sheet of baking paper and put them in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
3. Meanwhile, place a small saucepan on a medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and cook gently for 5–7 minutes, until soft. Remove the onion from the pan and leave it to cool.
4. In a bowl, mix the pork mince with seasonings of salt, pepper and grated nutmeg (fry off a little piece of the mixture to taste, if you like, then adjust as necessary), and mix in the cooled onion. Add the blue cheese and mix until everything is well combined.
5. Divide the mixture into two equal portions and form each into a sausage shape. Place one of these along a strip of pastry. Brush the edge of the pastry with a little beaten egg, then roll over the pastry so that the seam is underneath, and press to seal. Repeat with the second half of the mixture and the other strip of pastry.
6. Place the sausage rolls on a lined baking sheet, then return them to the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up the pastry, making it easier to cut.
7. Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7. Remove the sausage rolls from the fridge and cut each into three equal pieces, to give six sausage rolls in total. Brush the rolls with the beaten egg and sprinkle with onion seeds. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until cooked through, puffed up and golden brown.

Heston Blumenthal’s Chilli Con Carne

“Adding spiced butter to the chilli just before you serve it will make the result rich and unctuous,” recommends Heston.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 1 hr 40 mins
Cals: 895
Sat fat: 28g

Ingredients:
*6tbsp olive oil
*450g beef mince (10% fat is best)
*1 large onion, diced
*2 whole star anise
*3 cloves garlic, crushed
*1 green chilli, deseeded and diced
*2tbsp tomato purée
*½ bottle red wine
*400g tin chopped tomatoes
*500ml beef stock
*400g tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
*230g jar pimiento piquillo peppers, drained and roughly chopped

For the spiced butter:
*2tbsp olive oil
*1½tsp ground cumin
*1tsp hot chilli powder
*1½tsp hot smoked paprika
*1tsp tomato ketchup
*½tsp Worcestershire sauce
*½tsp Marmite
*125g butter, softened to room temperature

To serve:
*100g soured cream
*60g cheddar, grated
*Finely grated zest and juice 3 limes

Method:

1. First, make the spiced butter. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and lightly fry the cumin, chilli powder and paprika for approximately 1½ minutes. Pour the spice mixture into a bowl and add the remaining butter ingredients. Mix until everything is evenly combined, then leave the butter to cool. Once it’s cool, place it in the fridge until needed.
2. To make the chilli, add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large saucepan. Place the pan over a high heat and leave the oil until it is smoking hot. Add the mince, in batches if necessary (don’t overcrowd the pan, otherwise the meat will stew rather than caramelise), and cook until evenly browned, about 5–8 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan and drain it, then transfer it to a bowl. Add a little water to the same pan to deglaze it and tip the water and the bits you scrape up in with the drained meat – this makes sure you don’t lose any of the flavour.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and star anise and cook for 6–8 minutes, until the onion begins to colour. Then, add the garlic and green chilli and cook for another 2–3 minutes to soften. Add the tomato purée, stir, and cook for 5 minutes until everything turns a brick-red colour. Add the browned mince and juices, pour in the red wine and leave to reduce by two-thirds.
4. Add the tomatoes and stock to the pan and simmer over a low heat for at least 1 hour, or until the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce consistency. Fold the beans and chopped red peppers into the chilli and simmer until they are heated through. 
5. For a mild–medium heat in the end result, stir in 2½ tablespoons of the spiced butter – if you like it spicier, add more. Remove and discard the star anise. 
6. Season the chilli with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and serve with rice. Serve at the table with spoonfuls of soured cream, a sprinkle of grated cheese and lime zest, and a squeeze of lime juice.